The prior art does not contain autonomous measurement devices that roll incrementally or semi-continuously; however, they must roll at a constant velocity to avoid erroneous data from unwanted accelerations and decelerations. This vehicle rolls semi-continuously and data is gathered at specific stopping points defined by a vehicle path. Furthermore, this invention performs angular chassis-mast emulation measurements exclusively in very narrow aisle warehouses (VNA's) for minimum allowable chassis-mast attitude fluctuation (F-min) with at least two separate profiles which are not indicative of the actual floor profile configuration, but which pertain to the mast sway for a given vehicle's wheelbase.
This output is significantly different from the prior art outputs listed below, which simply generate a single profile on a concrete slab—randomly placed anywhere—indicative simply of that line on the floor where it was placed for an overall average (FF/FL) number to asses—the general characteristic of an entire floor area.
There are two known manually-operated, rolling, floor-flatness and floor-levelness (FF/FL) measurement devices in the literature, including U.S. Pat. No. 6,782,631 to Face, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,783 to Ytterberg, et al. These devices are used to make measurements of randomly-selected lines approximately 1/16th-inch to 4-inches wide, respectively across an entire concrete slab to accomplish the FF/FL measurements of an entire area, not a specific wheel path. As will be shown, the prior art in the (FF/FL) measurement category is not a direct antecedent to the present invention for at least three reasons.
The (FF/FL) machines in the prior art are not automated and self-directed, as is the present invention. The (FF/FL) measurement is distinctly different from the mathematics used by the present invention, which measures a quantity called (F-min) over a strictly-defined wheel path. The data itself is collected in a completely different manner; for, (FF/FL) devices must collect a single line of data to produce a two dimensional profile; whereas, (F-Min) is emulating the wheel base/mast correlation of a vehicle which has at least two profiles describing its side-to-side and front-to-back movements.
An automated, self-propelled machine to make defined floor wheel path measurements along a designated line is desirable because of the need for machine-controlled precision to increase the quality of data points taken which must be as accurate as possible in a micro-laser beam straight line. The rolling (FF/FL) measurement devices (single-axis) in the prior art are manually operated with human interference and the minimum amount of constant motorization or lack thereof they employ cannot accomplish this task of accuracy as can the present invention with regards to precise elevation data collection.
The present invention in its F-min configuration (dual-axis) cannot be made to emulate or duplicate the performance of any of the (FF/FL) machines, and none of the prior art (FF/FL) machines can be used to perform the process that the present invention automates.
The typical application of this invention is to measure the magnitude deviations away from zero planar infinity with regards to the absolute value of any given horizontal surface for a predefined vehicle path where surface levelness and flatness are critical to the performance of automated warehouse equipment using that path, and the like. Excessive magnitude deviations away from zero planar infinity will cause adverse behavior by such equipment specified to operate within critical tolerance conditions, including but not limited to causing collisions, spillage, undue stress on equipment, wear and tear on the floor system itself, and operator injury or death.
Floors so measured will be revisited using data (e.g. charts, graphs) generated by the proprietary software in the invention's computer system, so that surfaces can be analyzed and corrected by remedial measures.
This proprietary software produces charts that were developed by the inventor specifically to point out floor defects using the color red for the longitudinal profiles and blue for the transverse profiles. The charts were also specifically designed by the inventor to simultaneously plot and overlay each of the red and blue profiles together to assist with the visual positioning of chassis-mast attitude positioning.